JOIN THE SACRED HEART "ON-LINE" BOOK CLUB

To participate in the book club, read the book, review the reflection questions below, then share your thoughts in writing to have them posted on the Sacred Heart Website Blog. Email your responses to: heartpetals@gmail.com. You may purchase the book at your favorite book store or go to www.Amazon.com and make your purchase there.

Select either of the two following titles:

THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson.

“In Pakistan and Afghanistan we drink three cups of tea to do business: the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third you join our family, and for our family,
we are prepared to do anything – even die.”

~ Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karaporam Mountains, Pakistan

In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants’ knowledge, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty five schools– especially for girls– in the forbidden terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirt.

or

THE SHACK by William Paul Young

Mackenzie Allen Phillips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You will want everyone you know to read this book!

Choose any of the following reflection questions to respond to,
or feel free to respond in your own way.

1. Did this book relate to your life? How?
2. Did this book help you on your faith journey? If so, how?
3. What feelings did this book evoke? Why?

Send your responses to: heartpetals@gmail.com

Enjoy!

Thank You Everyone!

It is hard to believe that the Fifty Days of Easter have come and gone. We celebrated the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday. Many parishioners were dressed in red. Our outstanding choir welcomed The Spirit of God with their amazing singing. It was a joyous day! At Sacred Heart Church it is easy to see the Spirit of God alive. As we begin Ordinary time, Fr. Joe Kerrigan tells us "...we can make it “Extraordinary” time if we truly follow Jesus and not just view him as someone nice to know!"

The Journal is closed for now. The writers – all fifty of them – have been unique, amazing and inspiring. Thank you to all who participated!
May you continue to be richly blessed!

Millie Martin

PENTECOST

Our feast of Pentecost at Sacred Heart coincides with the Sacrament of Confirmation for 16 boys and girls in our parish at the Pentecost Vigil. Besides the obvious connection of the outpouring of the Spirit both at Pentecost and Confirmation, we are reminded that through the church feast and the special event for those 16 youngsters that the People of God have a future and a vitality that has yet to be fully realized.

May the Spirit be sent forth on the church as a whole to renew the face of the earth, and our little portion of it at Sacred Heart.

Fr. Joe Kerrigan

Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter

As children, we often let sibling rivalry get in the way of enjoying a good relationship with our parents and listening to their teachings. Worrying whether Mom and Dad love a sister more, or is a brother getting a bigger piece of cake distracts us from their counsel to do what is right and not concern ourselves with petty jealousy.

In today’s Gospel (John 21:20-25), we see Peter exhibiting just this sort of jealousy with his brother disciple John when he asks Jesus if John will be with him until he returns again. No matter that Jesus calls him “Rock” and tells him that upon him the church shall stand, he is still jealous at what he perceives as favoritism between the Lord and this apostle. Rather than focus upon the fact that he, too, can enjoy the presence and teachings of Jesus first-hand, Peter needlessly worries which of them will perish first. Jesus admonishes him, “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

We should remember our parents’ teachings from our childhood and take Jesus’ advice as we grow in faith: follow Him and not let competition or pettiness derail us from the path to heaven.

Christina Leslie

Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter

In today’s reading Festus doesn’t quite know what to do with Paul. Paul doesn’t fit into any of the categories that Festus is familiar with. I think that is what being a Catholic really is, not fitting into what the world thinks you should be. A large part of who we are as a community is our commitment to social justice. That view point is not always something the rest of the world understands, or want’s to hear about. We cause problems by speaking out against abortion, we make people uncomfortable by saying it’s not ok. We upset people by saying we need to support reforms helping immigrants. It’s usually ok to help the poor, but when we start demanding rights and fair treatment for them, we find that we’re not so popular. We cannot become discouraged however. We must live as Paul did because that is what we are called to do. At times it might be hard and scary, but it is through our devotion to the Church that we are called to be followers of Christ exactly like Paul. This passage is a true example of the Beatitude of, “blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Peter Dellatore

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Today’s Gospel (John 17:20-26) is part of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. In this section, He prays not only for His disciples, but also for those who believe in Jesus through the teachings of the Church. He prays that we be one in faith, just as He is one with the Father. He asks that we be brought to perfection and to see the glory that Jesus has been given. He hopes we will come to see the Father who is made known to us through Jesus.

This is an amazing prayer. Jesus prays for you and me personally. He makes known His love for us and His desire for us to be with Him. Incredibly, we are called the Father’s gift to Jesus. Jesus’ love for us overflows in this beautiful prayer.

We can meditate on any of the petitions in this prayer. Just think of how Jesus calls us the Father’s gift to Him or how He wants the Father’s love to be in us just as it is in Him. Jesus truly wants us to be one in Him and to share in His glory.

Jeff Rizzi

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

In the first reading Acts 20:28-38, Paul is relaying the words that since he has been there for them he has given his whole self to help them and that now he expects them to do the same for others. The line in the reading, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” sums it up very well. We should all work to give more of ourselves, because as we all know it is in giving that we receive.

In the Gospel, Jesus was asking God to give the disciples strength as God had given him and to protect them from all of the evil in the world. This ties in with what Paul was warning about in the first reading. It made me feel as though I'm never alone and that God will always be there to help me when I need him, even if he is not here on earth with me.

Erica Lorenzon